Teen Dance Club Is Cautioned On Patron Drug Use

Zero Gravity Owners Get Birkett Letter

December 01, 2000|By Jeff Coen, Tribune Staff Writer.

The DuPage County state's attorney's office has delivered a public-nuisance letter to a popular Naperville-area teen dance club in an attempt to compel the business to take steps to eliminate the use and sale of illicit drugs there.

Zero Gravity, at Illinois Highway 53 and 75th Street, caters to hundreds of underage patrons on many weekends. In 1999, a major police crackdown at the club led to more than three dozen arrests and confiscation of drugs including cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy pills. Patrons from as far away as Elk Grove Village and Morton Grove were taken into custody.

Zero Gravity's reputation suffered again this year when it was disclosed that a young overdose victim from Lisle was a one-time club employee who had continued to associate with workers there.

The letter delivered to the business calls for Zero Gravity to take steps to abate what is considered by authorities to be a continuing problem with drugs. If the problem persists, the business could face sanctions under Illinois' nuisance laws, DuPage officials said.

The demands made by the office of State's Atty. Joseph Birkett have not been released, but officials said the "reasonable steps" the business might take include hiring more security, improving lighting in the parking lot, installing video surveillance and posting warning signs.

"If kids continue to go there and use and sell controlled substances, ultimately the business could be shut down," Birkett said late Thursday. "But that would be an extreme remedy and one that I am not pursuing right now."

Birkett said a meeting has been scheduled between Zero Gravity's ownership and top members of his staff, including Joe Ruggiero, who heads drug prosecutions.

"I fully expect they will cooperate 100 percent," Birkett said.

Zero Gravity's management could not be reached for comment Thursday.

The club is in the jurisdiction of the DuPage County sheriff's police, and investigators there have characterized the club as cooperative during past investigations. At the time of the 1999 busts, the owners of the business said they were willing to work with police in any way possible to eliminate drug use there.